Love of a Lifetime
by hbkcenaortonaddict
Summary: Dwayne Johnson The Rock realizes the love of his lifetime has been in front of him the entire time.


**He watched as everyone swarmed around him in the busy backstage area. It had been over 2 years since his last appearance, well over 3 years since he was in a wrestling ring doing what he did best; entertain the millions of fans world wide. He missed this job almost more than anything. He had planned on returning sooner, but since his Hollywood movie career took off, a divorce that blindsided him and turned bitter quickly and the feelings he had hide for so long; things kept him away from the WWE.**

**In the past 2 years, he had often thought about returning. To feel the electricity that ran through him every time he would pass through the curtains into the screaming, wild fans. He loved the adrenaline rush it gave him, the pure ecstasy in that moment was like nothing he had ever felt before.**

**But tonight was different. He was here for more important reasons. He was here for someone in particular. He was here to share feelings and emotions he should have shared a long time before now. Before he ever retired from the ring, before he signed all the Hollywood dreams and movie contracts and more importantly before he ever signed his wedding decree.**

**He was here to talk to her. Dawn Snyder. The girl who had captured his heart the first night he set eyes on her. The girl he knew had his heart fully. The girl he had grown up with, considered his best friend. The girl he loved deeply, whole-heartedly and unconditionally.**

**They had had a short summer fling before he had gotten married. He hadn't even met Danni yet, but he knew she was the one from the time they were in high school together, when he noticed she was more than just his next door neighbor and the head cheerleader at the local high school.**

**It hadn't lasted but 3 months, but it was enough to tell him he should have never let her go, no matter where his football career took him. They had lost contact over the years he had moved to Miami to be a Hurricane, but she was never too far from his heart. **

**It was there he had meet Danni, his now ex-wife, and decided since Dawn had her own plans, a boyfriend at the time, maybe it was time he packed his feelings for her into a duffel bag and store them somewhere for safe keeping.**

**He had gotten married, she had moved on and things were going as well as could be expected, until the new Diva turned up in the backstage area in April of 2003. He couldn't believe it was her for a minute, until they locked eyes and he noticed she had soft tears streaming from her eyes. She jumped into her arms, like nothing had passed between them and feared letting go.**

**They continued a close friendship until his time was up with the WWE. She had supported him no matter what he did. Whether he was WWE Champion or whether he was the Scorpion King in Hollywood.**

**He felt he had no other alternative but to leave. He couldn't fight the crazy urges or the rapid feelings any longer. He was about to burst at the seems and it started to affect his family life. Instead, he packed his belongings, opted not to sign the new 5 year contract Vince McMahon had ****offered him and left for California and far away from the woman who still had his heart.**

**It had been rough, but now, with him being here, finally able to get things in the open, he decided it was now or never and walked down the crowded hallway. It was as if he was in some strange movie or dream, trying to find that one certain someone who can save you from everything, only at the other end there was no on there, just himself.**

**He continued to stroll down the hall, occasionally stopping to give someone a high five or smile and nod in their directions before picking up his pace and looking even harder. After an exhausting 15 minute walk around the premise, he found the Diva's locker room and stopped.**

**He wanted to knock so badly, but he knew it was private spaces for the women of the WWE. He stepped back a little thinking to himself. He couldn't take no more, so he threw his fist up and prepared himself to knock.**

**Before he could, the door flung open and he was face to face with the same auburn haired, blue-eyed girl from his childhood. He smiled weakly as she looked at him, searching for an answer in his eyes as to why he was here. **

**She hadn't heard of a return he was making or a scheduled appearance. It was just another dream, she told herself. She closed her eyes, exhaled deeply and opened them again, only finding herself even closer to the man she had fallen in love with all those years ago. **

"**Dwayne?" she said softly, feeling the tears burning her eyes.**

"**Dawn." he repeated back. **

**I guess the time was right for us to say  
We'd take our time and live our lives together day by day  
We'll make a wish and send it on a prayer  
We know our dreams can all come true  
With love that we can share**

**She jumped into his arms again, as he caught her and swung her around. It was her. She was finally here and this time, he would be a fool to let her go. He placed her back down before pushing another door open and checking to make sure no one was inside. After a quick glance, he lead her inside and shut the door firmly behind them.**

"**Dawn." he said again. **

**She wrapped her arms around him once more, letting the tears fall. He felt her collapse into his arms and tremble from her tears. He held her tightly and stroked her hair gently, kissing her head from time to time.**

"**What are you doing here?" she asked, pushing away from him slowly.**

"**I came...to see you." he replied. "There are some things I need to tell you. I have to tell you. I have to get them off my chest and I've been meaning to for some time now, but never got the chance to."**

"**I missed you." she said softly. "I really missed you and I love you and I never stopped." she said, taking a deep breath in, almost beating him to the punch.**

"**Dawn, I came here to bare my soul to you. You can not take the words out of my mouth, sweetheart." he said, in his usual joking manner. "But, I'm glad you said that. God, I've missed you, baby." he said, pressing his forehead against hers. **

**He closed his eyes, taking in the moment and recalling her words, as they played over and over in his head. She had always been his rock, no matter what was going on in his life. She had been the one constant ounce of sanity he kept dear to his heart. He could always count on her no matter how many years would pass before they would see each other. He never wondered if their relationship would deplete or end. He knew in his heart that she would be there.**

**And in some weird way, he knew this moment would happen for the both of them. He was just sorry it took so long to happen. He needed this more than anything.**

"**I love you baby. There is so many things I shouldn't have done, especially without you by my side. Fate has really played a weird role in our lives. Like..like how we ended up growing up together, how we both ended up in the WWE together and now. I don't want to ever let you go again, Dawn baby. I can't because honestly, my heart can not take it again."**

**With you I never wonder - Will you be there for me  
With you I never wonder - You're the right one for me**

"**I'm glad you said that. Really I am because I couldn't take it any longer either. If I saw you again, I swore to myself I was going to tell you everything – how I felt. Everything. I can't see you with anyone else but me. You are it for me, you're my rock. I don't want to share you anymore. I've loved you for so long but had to push it aside and then when we were finally together it seems neither one of us took the chance to tell each other what we both should have. Like we didn't take it seriously."**

"**I know baby but it won't happen again. I know that, you know that. Danni and I – we're done. The divorce is final. In some way, she blamed you because my heart didn't belong to her. It has always belonged to you. I loved her, but it's not the same way I love you. No one could ever measure up to you."**

"**Dwayne..."**

"**What baby?"**

"**Shut up and kiss me." **

**He had waited so many years to have this opportunity again and this time, he promised himself, he wouldn't let it pass without putting every last emotion into it. **

**He inched towards her and cupped her face gently inside his hands. As his lips brushed gently against hers, he felt the bolt of electricity shooting up and down his spine. His hair stood up on ****the back of his neck as he massaged his tongue slowly over her bottom lip, causing her to moan against his lips. A gesture that sent him over the edge.**

**He crashed his lips unto hers, as if taking her for the first time. As if instead of words being used or uttered, he was pouring every drop of emotion he had into her. He drew her in closer as his hands fell to the small of her back. His heart seemed to stop beating as their souls became one in their intimate, passionate kiss they were sharing.**

**As he stepped backwards, breaking the kiss, his eyes slowly fluttered open, as if he was afraid to open his eyes in fear she would no longer be there. He smiled slowly as he saw her before him. His heart jumped for joy and he felt the butterflies swimming within him. His heart swelled with more love for her, more so than he could have imagined. As if by that one kiss, his love was renewed and new, all over again.**

**I finally found the love of a lifetime  
A love to last my whole life through  
I finally found the love of a lifetime  
Forever in my heart, I finally found the love of a lifetime**

"**That was..." he started, before she finished his sentence.**

"**I know. Incredible. I almost forgot what that felt like." she replied.**

"**Yeah. So, can we give us another chance? I know we can make it work. I know we can. I've waited for too long to say these things and to...kiss you. I've wanted you ever since we were in high school together, ever since you lived across the way from me, ever since I was married, before my divorce, after and now. I love you, Dawn."**

"**Dwayne, I have waited so long to hear you say that. I stood by you through everything and I was a good friend for doing so. I hide my feelings for so long, even when we did date for those short couple of months, I was afraid. I was afraid to show you how I truly felt because I was afraid you wouldn't feel the same way."**

"**Oh, Dawn. Baby, how could I not feel for you felt for me? Look, that's in the past. Let's just move on and be together. Dawn, can we be together?"**

"**Dwayne..."**

"**Please, don't tell me that we can't. We've waited too long for this and I know if we just give it a shot, we can do it. I know we can."**

"**Dwayne..."**

"**I mean, think about it." he began, as he paced the locker room. "We owe it to ourselves to find this out. We should have been together for like 10 years by now, but things got in the way. Maybe it wasn't the right time then, I don't know, but what I do know is I flew almost 2,000 miles to be with you, to tell you how I feel. Please, Dawn, for Christ's sakes, don't do this."**

"**Dwayne, if you would have let me finish, I was going to say, I want to be with you. I want nothing more than to be with you. I know we can make it and I want to try this."**

**With every kiss our love is like brand-new  
And every star up in the sky was made for me and you  
Still we both know that the road is long  
We know that we will be together  
Because our love is strong**

** End Flashback **

"**I can't believe everything that was said and so much in detail." he laughed as she sipped at her lemonade glass.**

"**Baby, why wouldn't I? Look at where things lead us. We're married, almost 5 years now and I have a little surprise for you." she said, sitting on his lap.**

"**And what would that be?" he asked, stroking the side of her cheek.**

"**Well, remember how I had to go to the doctor last week?" she paused as he shook his head, urging her to continue. "Well, they told me the reason I have been sick lately is because I'm about a month pregnant." she said, searching his eyes for a clue to his feelings.**

"**What? Really?" he said, surprised, glancing at her stomach as he placed his hand over it. "I love you."**

**His lips connected with hers, as he raked his fingers through her hair, drawing her closer. The bolt of electricity was still there, as it shot through his entire body. It sent chills up and down his entire body as the butterflies swam in his stomach. He loves this woman and nothing would ever stop that.**

**I finally found the love of a lifetime  
A love to last my whole life through  
I finally found the love of a lifetime  
Forever in my heart, I finally found the love of a lifetime (Repeat x2)**

"**I love you." she whispered against his lips. "Can you believe we are finally together, I mean after all we've been through?"**

"**I know. It's amazing, isn't it? I've never been the sappy kind of guy, but it actually brings tears to my eyes to know I'm going to spend the rest of my life with the person I was meant to be with. You've had my heart from the very beginning and..." he stopped to wipe the sudden rush of tears that was streaming down his cheeks. "and I'm just glad we didn't waste anymore time getting with one another. You are the only one for me."**

"**Baby, I love you." she replied, wiping the tears from the corner of his eyes. "And I will prove to you for the rest of my life and yours that you didn't make a mistake."**

"**Baby, I didn't make a mistake. I know I didn't make a mistake the first I realized you were the love of my life, when I realized I made a mistake marrying Danni and when I found you backstage and we finally got together. Finally!" he said, as the two erupted into laughter.**

"**Finally, huh? When was the moment you knew I was the love of your life?" she asked.**

"**The moment I said 'I do' to Danni and realized it was a lie because you had my heart from day one."**

**Finally found the love of a lifetime  
Love of a lifetime  
Finally found the love of a lifetime  
I finally found the love  
Finally found the love of a lifetime  
Oh, forever in my heart  
I finally found the love of a lifetime**


End file.
